Just because cats are known to be low maintenance, it doesn’t mean that their life is as cheap; but in this breeder capital of Indonesia, where people see all living being (human included, of course) as source of free money, I don’t think anyone care.

And then, there’s that outdated, idiotic misconception that doing business should “use as less to no resources as possible, to gain as much profit as possible”

So in every corner of slums in this metropolitanpuritan city, you will see cats living in rabbit cage, with plain rice and water, or a pinch of Friskies, and a plate of sand to discharge, spending their life. Their only chance of going out of that box is when they are about to meet their mate, or if their breeder got enough of him/her and find someone else stupid enough to believe in the effortless profit maker myth and buy the overly bred cat.

What if the cat is sick? Go back to the equation. If the amount of resources needed to rear the “asset” is the same or higher than its price, throw it away on the street.

Chances are, someone will pick it up, or at least you will never see it again. Out of sight, out of mind. Life goes on.

But if you happen to bring your asset cat to meet the vet, thinking that it will cost you a little, but ended up have to pay more?

Cheat. Plain and simple.

It’s so happened last month. A homemade breeder bring his cat to the vet clinic, complaining that his cat does not pee for quite some time and is being a nuisance. The vet gave the cat a look, and tell the owner that he got UTI (Urinary Tract Infection), most probably caused by bad quality feed. The vets put catheter into the cat, prescribe the medicine, and urge the owner to change the feed into better quality food, if they cannot afford the best. As a value adding service, the vet give his cat a free, self-made elizabeth collar to match his cat, so that it will not pull the catheter out.

Looking heart broken, the owner said that he feels so sorry for his cat, and ask if the vet can hold on for a moment because he wants to borrow a car from his relative, so that the cat will be more comfortable with all his new wardrobe and accessories on his way home.

You guess? The owner never return.

That way he doesn’t have to pay any money for any service right?.

So, similar with his old days, this cat – dubbed BooBoo by the vets – spends his life in a cage, with Elizabeth collar that bump everywhere he move, and a catheter that irk his rear most of the time.

Yet he doesn’t complain. For a cat that was bred for profit, he probably learn that life at its best is sitting nicely inside of a barred box waiting to be mated.

Life is a little bit better for BooBoo, when under the care of not only one, but three vets who all love cat, his UTI cleared out and he is off his bumpy collar and irksome catheter. However, since the clinic doesn’t have boarding, and it’s uber busy from morning to late night, he still got to live his life in the cage and go out only for one or two hours a day when the patients are all gone and the vets take some break to have supper before they all go home, and BooBoo has to go back to his jail.

BooBoo’s right eye was swollen when he got a fight back from the clinic resident cat, and he was sulking in his sand box the whole day.

With all sort of patients going back and forth everyday the whole day, it is only a matter of time before he got stressed and start clawing everyone around, especially the two resident cats who shares the same house.

To that point, BooBoo’s only part in my life is when I lost Mama Cat. One of the vets who knows what is going on was trying to soothe us by telling his story, and I got to pet his head once or twice for self-consolation.

He replied my sorrowful vibes with his copper eyes, looking at me with such a curious glint; a spark of liveliness that told me that he is more than a doll-like cat who likes to sit and watch life goes by.

Still, until yesterday we hope that his owner didn’t really mean to abandon him and will return with whatever reason to take him back. Even if he told us flat that he got no money at that time we would still understand and the vets won’t charge anything more than the cost of the initial treatment.

Besides, it’s beyond reason that someone would rather abandon his cat for only a minor infection that cleared out within a week. Can’t he just make sure that the cat’s UTI is incurable before dumping it just like that?

After one month had passed and a few weeks more in waiting, however, we can no longer deny that whisper in our heart that BooBoo is indeed, dumped away.

What is in a name? a rose by any other name will be as sweet. Certainly, Shakespeare, what’s in a name? in late 2011 I pull out a purebred silpoint Persian named Boo who was abandoned in another clinic, and now we have a Persian mix named BooBoo with similar fate?

The vets has two choice: give him to the friend of the silly seaweed chip volunteer, or have someone else (meaning whoever) adopted him by putting an ad in facebook.

Both options gave me goosebumps, so I step forward and give them the third choice: I will pay all his charges and pull him out.

It’s (again) a stupid idea. My house is full and the fund raising seems to be rather stuck these days. I also have Martha who currently need the most medical attention, but here I am gambling my luck away and pull a cat out.

I seems to lose a lot of intelligence lately, but honestly, I just can’t stand by and have those coppery glint of liveliness goes into yet another home to get into yet another cage.

The rest is the same old story, I took several more freelance job, and bring my carrier to the vet’s clinic and pay.

The vets waive the catheter, the UTI medicine and the food they spend on BooBoo, but I got to pay for his vaccine and neutering; and half a million Rupiah moved from my ATM to their drawer, and I went home with a new cat to care for.

BooBoo still got to stay in a cage, but only for one night. The next morning I was kind of expecting a little fuss because he doesn’t want to go out of the cage in the clinic, but he voluntarily jumped out of the cage as soon as I open the door.

Since the vets told me he will try to fight with other cats, I watch him like a hawk when he meets the other cats, but to my surprise, he just sniff them up a little bit, turn around continue exploring.

It’s not a surprise that The Whiskers’ Syndicate no longer care about bullying new cat because there are so many come and go in their lifetime.

Unlike Abba Tealca who fight his way with almost every one in the Syndicate, BooBoo arrived with no incident at all. He just lay down and doze off like my house is his all along, and blend in effortlessly. Perhaps because he used to be a house cat, so a household environment is more familiar (thus less stressful or agitating) for him, but I can’t talk to him, and I’d freak out if he talk to me, so I just shrug and have him do it his own way.

on ironing table

that closet behind him is where I store cat food and bowls. Go figure what he is doing 😀

checking kitchen counter

Since I already have a cat named Boo, I have to change his name to avoid confusion. Besides, the “original” Boo is already irritated when I called out “Boo” and he comes over only to find out I was talking with the other.

That said, why not have an early trick or treat? Help me find a good (new) name for this handsome boy and win this bag:

Courtesy of Whiscraft, this bag is made of patchwork of cotton fabric featuring fresh flower and a smiling cat. It is 26 centimeter (10.2 inches) wide, 18 centimeter (7 inches) tall, and 8 centimeter (3.1 inches) in depth. Patches may vary depending on available coordinating colours.

Here is how to join the naming game:

1. Make a single USD 5 donation through our Pitch In Box on the top right of the website page, and enter your suggested name in the “message” box.

2. Ask your friend and family to vote for you!

Here is how to vote:

1. Make a single USD 3 donation to our Pitch In on the top right of the page. If you donate USD 9, you have 3 votes!

2. Enter your voted name in the “message” box.

3. Ask your friends and family to join!

Names with most vote got the bag!

Aw, no prize for the voter?

Whoever vote the most get this:

Also courtesy of Whiscraft, this cute porcupine pouch is made of patchwork cotton. It is 13 centimeter (5.1 inches) wide and 10 centimeter (3.9 inches) tall.

5. Baron (because he looks majestic)
6. Cooper (from Copper eyes)
7. Dante (writer of the infamous “Inferno”. Inferno is due to the coat colour of the cat)
8. Oscar (of “Oscar Madison” in the motion picture “The Odd Couple”).
There are also entries of other Oscar of “Oscar Wilde” and “Oscar the cat” so the name “Oscar” now has 3 votes, which put this name ahead of the other.

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Josie And The Whiskers' Syndicate

The first and only cat refuge in Bandung (West Java - Indonesia) a capital breeder of a nation without animal welfare law.
We care for Bandung's unwanted animals, operate a TNR as much as our budget allows, and continue to educate people about compassion to animals
View all posts by Josie And The Whiskers' Syndicate